Small issue: explorer.exe/logoff sound.

[AlainB]

Greetings everybody,

I've been searching for a solution to this issue for quite some time and the search results here didn't really help my cause as of yet, hence why I've created this thread. Pardon me if I missed a possible solution.

So basically this is my issue: If I log onto my notebook (which runs Windows 7 Professional x64), several problems seem to occur after logging into my account. If I try to change my volume in the volume manager (taskbar, right-bottom corner), it won't respond anymore and basically forces me to close and restart the application. The same thing happens for my media player (Winamp) - if I want to play a song, it freezes and forces me to shut it down (restarting Winamp doesn't help). And this also seems to happen when viewing a video on YouTube. Once it has finished loading, the video doesn't respond and causes my FireFox to not respond either, which eventually, forces me to shut that down as well.

I've also noticed that when trying to shut down or restart my computer, the following message pops up. I don't remember the exact message, but it's something along these lines.

"Waiting to play logoff sound (explorer.exe)".

However, I'd like to note that this problem doesn't occur every time. It only happens 6 out of 10 times or so. And no, I'm not using a sound/logoff .wav file that is longer than 10 seconds. I use the default, which is less. I haven't installed drivers manually either - Windows 7 seemed to do that automatically.

I'd greatly appreciate any assistance in regards to this issue as it's kind of annoying me most of the time.




Yours Sincerely,
Alain B.

 

[bennyy007]

Greetings everybody,

I've been searching for a solution to this issue for quite some time and the search results here didn't really help my cause as of yet, hence why I've created this thread. Pardon me if I missed a possible solution.

So basically this is my issue: If I log onto my notebook (which runs Windows 7 Professional x64), several problems seem to occur after logging into my account. If I try to change my volume in the volume manager (taskbar, right-bottom corner), it won't respond anymore and basically forces me to close and restart the application. The same thing happens for my media player (Winamp) - if I want to play a song, it freezes and forces me to shut it down (restarting Winamp doesn't help). And this also seems to happen when viewing a video on YouTube. Once it has finished loading, the video doesn't respond and causes my FireFox to not respond either, which eventually, forces me to shut that down as well.

I've also noticed that when trying to shut down or restart my computer, the following message pops up. I don't remember the exact message, but it's something along these lines.

"Waiting to play logoff sound (explorer.exe)".

However, I'd like to note that this problem doesn't occur every time. It only happens 6 out of 10 times or so. And no, I'm not using a sound/logoff .wav file that is longer than 10 seconds. I use the default, which is less. I haven't installed drivers manually either - Windows 7 seemed to do that automatically.

I'd greatly appreciate any assistance in regards to this issue as it's kind of annoying me most of the time.




Yours Sincerely,
Alain B.

Hi Alain,

Have you done a scan on your Hard Drive? If not then I recommend doing this as it could possibly have errors or something along those areas. Also have you installed any devices or software lately, as seeing your running the 64-bit version some 32-bit drivers tend to play up so make sure all drivers are up to date!

Not forgetting make sure any 3rd-party software/devices are compatiable with Windows 7 64-bit.

And if you don't know how to scan your Hard Drive then you can do it this way:

Open up Command Prompt (start > run > cmd)

Then in CMD type in "chkdisk x" (without the quotes and change x to your drive letter) also if you wish to fix any errors chkdisk finds then use this "chkdisk x /F" (again remove quotes) this will basically fix any errors it finds on your hard drive.

And if this doesn't resolve your issue, then you might need to do a reformat of your hard drive and do a fresh install of Windows 7.

Need anymore help just ask

 

[AlainB]

Hi,

Yes, I have installed quite a lot of things once I installed Windows 7. These being, for instance: MySQL, SQLYog, Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, Adobe Photoshop CS3, Macromedia Flash MX/Dreamweaver 8 Professional/Fireworks MX and the such. I'm pretty sure, if not completely certain that none of these programs are incompatible with my version of Windows 7. As for the drivers - I haven't installed any manually, as it all happened automatically. I may assume that this is not the most efficient way of keeping track of my drivers?

Also, I ran the "CHKDSK C" in CMD and it didn't contain any errors as far as I'm aware of. I'd also like to note that this problem didn't occur at once. I installed Windows 7 and this issue only came up after a month or two. So I guess this couldn't be because of the W7 installation itself?



Thanks for your assistance.

 

[bennyy007]

Hi,

Sorry for late reply, I've been real busy lately. Erm I would say anythings possible to cause Windows to misbehave such as BSoD's and simple errors like yours. I would say that you should check your motherboard website for any updates or BIOS updates, also I recommend doing a malware,spyware,adware scan including a virus scan on your pc just to double check that there's no leeching virues hiding away.

Also be sure to check your RAM as well as RAM can cause Windows to misbehave, you can download memtest for that or use the built in Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool.

And may I ask has it occured recently since doing the Check Disk scan ?

 

[Rayw_50]

Hi Alain

I have exactly the same problem as yourself. It seems pretty random and very frustrating. I have had my machine (Dell Studio 17) for about 3 months now and if I remember correctly it started to play up within a few weeks. I have'nt added much software either so am pretty sure its nothing to do with new software. My PC is virus protected and I have run several various scans but nothing is detected.
Sometimes I restart and its ok...sometimes its not!!

Ray W

 

[AlainB]

Also be sure to check your RAM as well as RAM can cause Windows to misbehave, you can download memtest for that or use the built in Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool.

And may I ask has it occured recently since doing the Check Disk scan ?

Pardon me for the slow reply as well.

I've checked my RAM and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong; it's not lacking memory or any of the such as far as I'm aware. And I can't say it occured less than usual after running the CHKDSK.

 

[Guest]

I have basically the same problem as you in my Gateway laptop PC, running 32 bit Vista Home Premium with a core 2 duo T5200, with 2 GB of RAM and Moble Intel(R) 945GM Express Chipset Family.

When I first boot up, everything works fine. After the PC has been on for a while, using of the IE8 and Word, video sound stops working, and when I try to shut down, I get the message:

"The following programs are still running: explorer.exe, Playing logoff sound... To close these programs and turn off your computer, click Shut down (button) now."

McAfee, Defender, and Malwarebytes indicate that the PC is clean and that there are no viruses or malware affecting the PC. I also have deleted the sound card driver and re-downloaded the driver, which failed to resolve the problem.

The Driver is 6/21/2006 Driver Version 6.0.6000.16386, and the PC Device Manager indicates that the High Definition Audio Device is working properly.

Something is affecting and seems to be freezing the sound card after the PC is on for a while. I don't know whether this is related to IE8 or Microsoft Word, but it is certainly a Vista problem of unknown origin with a fix unknown to me.

Restoring the system is of no use, as this has been happening too long in my PC.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[saran008]

Seems to be problem with audio drivers.
Please Update your audio Codec driver by downloading it from the concerning site like Realtek., etc., whichever is applicable.
Updating specific driver will be better than using default windows audio driver.

Hop this helps!

 

[springroll]

I have EXACT same problem!

Dell Studio 17". Windows 7.

Dell advised me to reinstall the audio drivers. I did. But this thing still happens randomly, about 6 out of 10 times. I just have to try my luck and keep restarting until I hear the sound.

Note: I will know there is a problem at the login page where I am supposed to provide my password. Normally, there it is supposed to play the windows login sound or music ... but if I don't hear that login sound, I will know that all other sounds cannot be played even after I login. And if I try to shut down, it will hang there with a message saying that it is still trying to play the logoff sound and I have to force shut down.

Not even sure whether this is a hardware or software problem.

I called Dell again and we did a complete reinstall back to the original factory settings. And it happens again on my 2nd start up!

I've not even installed any external programs or software yet! and definitely no virus.

Hope someone has a solution soon. Thanks!

 

[newcougar]

Just wanted to leave a note... I was experiencing the same problem (explorer.exe hanging on shutdown, waiting for logoff sound to play) on my new Dell Studio XPS 16. Funny thing was, I thought initially that the problem was the audio hardware because it needed a firmware update, but I downloaded the update twice and tried updating (as administrator) but after installing, it kept saying the old driver version. Weird. And the problem persisted. I then decided to disable the logoff/shutdown sound under "sounds" in the control panel, and it worked. No more hangs during shutdown (at least over the last 6 times I've shutdown, which it was happening almost every time before). I know this is a temporary fix, but it does save my sanity until I can figure out how to update my audio hardware (again, weird). Thought I'd share.

 

[HalogenEyes]

I've been experiencing this on occasion ever since I got my Studio XPS16 a couple of months ago. This is just the icing though, the first thing that breaks is the audio jack detection - normally when I plug in a mic, it pop's up the IDT audio applet to determine what i'm using the port for. Any interaction with any audio control applets will result in the applets hanging indefinitely.

Out of curiousity, does anyone here NOT have skype installed? I always install it straight away cause I use it a lot with work.

 

[springroll]

I have Skype installed. But I know it is not due to Skype because I've done a clean re-installed twice and it is still the same problem when Skype is not there.

The no-sound problem occurs randomly (about 6 out of 10 times) and when it happens, Skype and anything that plays a sound will hang or will not work.

 

[HalogenEyes]

Yeah, that's right. The only other thing I could think of off the top of my head was the Bluetooth Hands-free Audio device. I've now disabled that device in device manager so we'll see.

To be honest, I haven't invested much time in this problem - i'm getting lazier as the days go by. Since it worked most times with a reboot i never bothered. Yesterday it did it 3 reboots in a row, so i got a little more motivated

 

[webster_66]

I then decided to disable the logoff/shutdown sound under "sounds" in the control panel, and it worked. No more hangs during shutdown (at least over the last 6 times I've shutdown, which it was happening almost every time before). I know this is a temporary fix, but it does save my sanity until I can figure out how to update my audio hardware (again, weird). Thought I'd share.

Seems like it is mainly a Dell Studio problem. I have a Dell Studio 17 with exactly this problem too.
I'm not running Skype on the computer. When you Google this problem it seems like it has been present since the launch of Windows 7. No updates has fixed the problem yet. I will try to disable the logoff sound and see if it helps.

 

[springroll]

Seems like it is mainly a Dell Studio problem. I have a Dell Studio 17 with exactly this problem too.
I'm not running Skype on the computer. When you Google this problem it seems like it has been present since the launch of Windows 7. No updates has fixed the problem yet. I will try to disable the logoff sound and see if it helps.

I think the no-logoff-sound issue is a RESULT of a certain problem and not the CAUSE of that problem. Sure, by disabling the logoff sound you will not see that error message when you logoff, but there's still no sound (for other applications) prior to logoff, so it doesn't really solve my problem. Just my thought.

 

[webster_66]

I think the no-logoff-sound issue is a RESULT of a certain problem and not the CAUSE of that problem. Sure, by disabling the logoff sound you will not see that error message when you logoff, but there's still no sound (for other applications) prior to logoff, so it doesn't really solve my problem. Just my thought.

You are absolutely right. The no logoff sound just prevent the computer from stalling during logoff. But some applications just start to loose sound and the only way to get the sound back is to reboot the computer. I have no idea why it's primarely Dell XPS's that suffer from this problem....

 

[arjunp2085]

You are absolutely right. The no logoff sound just prevent the computer from stalling during logoff. But some applications just start to loose sound and the only way to get the sound back is to reboot the computer. I have no idea why it's primarely Dell XPS's that suffer from this problem....

This co be the Problem with incorrect sound drivers . check with Dell support or the Dell website for the actual specification of the Device. (might be Realtek or creative) get the Drivers from the manufactures website rather than Dell wesite will be more updated..

2. Update the BIOS firmware. Integrated Sound Device can be enabled or disabled from BIOS.. So Try updating BIOS and try again.

 

[newcougar]

Yes, I also agree that disabling the exit Windows sound is not a fix, but does help one frustrating symptom.
There is an update for the BIOS for my XPS 16 (1645) which I completed, but it didn't help.
What version of audio drivers does everyone here experiencing the problem have? mine are:
IDT High Definition Audio CODEC 6.10.0.6217 dated 29/06/2009
ATI High Definition Audio Device 5.0.7000.9 dated 18/09/2009

 

[Guest]

Hi, I'm a HP user and I have the same issue. I have skype as well, but I had issues with sound way before that. I just wanted to add that it seems the problem comes with windows 7, since Dell is not the only one with this inconvenience.

 

[springroll]

Yes, I also agree that disabling the exit Windows sound is not a fix, but does help one frustrating symptom.
There is an update for the BIOS for my XPS 16 (1645) which I completed, but it didn't help.
What version of audio drivers does everyone here experiencing the problem have? mine are:
IDT High Definition Audio CODEC 6.10.0.6217 dated 29/06/2009
ATI High Definition Audio Device 5.0.7000.9 dated 18/09/2009

I have a
IDT High Definition Audio CODEC 6.10.0.6217 dated 29/06/2009
which is exactly same as yours and a

High Definition Audio Device 6.1.7600.16385 dated 13/07/2009
which is different from yours.

So our similarity is "IDT High Definition Audio CODEC" but not sure where it is a coincidence or it mean something. Need more input from others.

By the way, I think it is not a Dell specific problem too. From other forums, there are occasional reports from HP (or others) users too.

Mine is a laptop. And desktop users with this problem?

 

[newcougar]

I have a
IDT High Definition Audio CODEC 6.10.0.6217 dated 29/06/2009
which is exactly same as yours and a

High Definition Audio Device 6.1.7600.16385 dated 13/07/2009
which is different from yours.

So our similarity is "IDT High Definition Audio CODEC" but not sure where it is a coincidence or it mean something. Need more input from others.

Just as I thought. I think the "IDT High Definition CODEC" is the component causing the problem (gut feeling). Did you know there is an update to that device's driver? It's on the Dell website:
6.10.0.6217, A15 Date: 9/23/2009
I've tried installing that updated driver twice now, and it still reads the old driver version & date in the device manager. Anyone else have this problem?

 

[newcougar]

I think I figured it out. When you download the driver update installation program from the Dell website, it installs another program that you need to execute AFTERWORDS. It's a two step process. After realizing this, I went to my C:\Dell\Driver\R226903\ folder and ran the setup.exe. After a reboot, I now have the latest driver for my audio device with the corresponding updated date. Now let's see if this problem is also fixed.

 

[newcougar]

^^^ Correction. Properly updating the audio device's driver files did not correct the problem. After dealing with this problem for a while now, I notice that my browser (Firefox & IE) will freeze (requiring a force close/end task) when trying to view streaming videos (youtube) or flash player stuff (killsometime, collegehumor, even futureshop). But normally when this happens, if I reboot, the problem goes away. It's like sometimes when I turn the laptop on, something doesn't load properly.

 

[springroll]

Thanks for the update. What a pity, I was hoping the new audio driver will solve your (and my) problem. Now I can almost conclude that audio driver and BIOS will not fix this.

Your observations about youtube and flash are not too surprising. They will definitely freeze because it is trying hard to play the sound.

Strange that there is still no solution after these 3 or 4 months.

 

[Wikiality]

Google leads me here. I hoping to find an answer...It's not just Dell or HP's problem. My home-built PC is having the same problem. [strike]I think it had something to do with one of Windows update. My only choice, right now, is to reformat.[/strike]

EDIT: Nevermind..I found a fix that worked for me. I ran SFC.exe This repairs and replaces corrupted system files.
First, you click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as Admin.
Type the cmd :
sfc /scannow
Press Enter

After it's 100%, Restart. Shutdown to test and voilà! This fixes the log off sound problem...

The link:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929833